Internet Security Overview

Our beginners' guides to Internet security are given on Secure Windows and Safe Holiday 2010 pages. On this
page, we have Background Information, Checklists, How-To, and Articles.

The purpose of the information and links on this page is to help get you started to understand what the "outlaws" are doing on the Internet and what you can do to protect your computer.

For this week's top Internet security and privacy topics, see our Newsletter page. If you would like a book intended for home users, see our list of Internet Security Books powered by Amazon.com

Go to our Secure Windows page for our step by step guide to securing Windows computers.

Background from HowStuffWorks.com	US-CERT Tips (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, National Cyber Alert System, Carnegie Mellon University)
How Firewalls Work How Computer Viruses Work How Spyware Works How Identity Theft Works How Cable Modems Work How DSL Works How Home Networking Works How Routers Work How Spam Works How Virtual Private Networks Work How Network Address Translation (NAT) Works How Wireless Networking Works	Before You Connect a New Computer to the Internet Recovering from Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses Home Network Security Why is Cyber Security a Problem? Securing Your Web Browser Understanding Firewalls Understanding Anti-Virus Software Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware Risks of File-Sharing Technology Benefits and Risks of Free Email Services Rootkits and Botnets Safeguarding Your Data More Tips
Checklists and Overviews	Detailed How To's
ByteCrime.org for kids and families Defensive Computing Class Links, Michael Horowitz e2chameleon information security resource Get Safe Online UK iSafe [Internet safety education] Microsoft Home User Security National Cyber Security Alliance Security Tips NetSafe NZ On Guard Online (USA FTC & partners) PC Disinfection PC Magazine Checklist for Internet Security US FTC Consumer Information Security	Checklist for Securing Windows XP, Lawrence Berkeley Nat'l Lab Computer Internet Security Class, Jon Schweitzer, August 18, 2009 Gizmo's Guide to Securing Your PC, Tech Support Alert, September 2007 Malware Help Protecting Your Privacy & Security, Eric Howes Securing Windows XP, Wall & Vaughan, TweakHound, November 14, 2004 SpringCleanPC.com TomCat Secure Your Home Computer Windows Support Center (aumha.org) Windows XP Security Checklist, LabMice.net

Reality?

"Life in cyberspace can be nasty, brutish, and short. So says a new report on international cybersecurity, which argues that the Internet is a Hobbesian "state of nature" where anything goes, where even government attacks maintain 'plausible deniability,'..." from No rules: Internet security a Hobbesian "state of nature" Nate Anderson, ars techica, February 1, 2010.

Articles

Staying Safe on Social Network Sites, Mindi McDowell, National Cyber Alert System, Cyber Security Tip ST06-003, updated Jan 26, 2011
A Brief History of Malware; The First 25 Years, Mary Landesman, About.com Guide, Jan 22, 2011
How to Wipe Yourself Off the Grid, Eric Griffith, PC Mag, Jan 21, 2011
Enhance Your Security This Weekend, Lifehacker, Dec 17, 2010
25 internet security tips, PC Plus, techradar, Nov 11, 2010
The 17 Most Dangerous Places on the Web, Nick Mediati, PCWorld, Sept. 26, 2010; and for protection see How to Stop 11 Hidden Security Threats, Tony Bradley, PCWorld, Jan 24, 2010.